Circular knitting machines for knitting fabrics having terry loops on both sides thereof



www- May 17, 1960 M. THIBORD ET AL 2,936,601

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES FOR KNITTING FABRICS Filed Aug. 2, 1957HAVING TERRY LOOPS ON BOTH SIDES THEREOF 9 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 17, 1960HINES FOR KNITTING FABRICS HAVING TERRY LOOPS ON BOTH SIDES THEREOFFiled Aug. 2, 1957 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 M. THIBORD ET'AL 2,936,601 CIRCULARKNITTING MAC May 17, 1960 M. THIBORD ETAL 7 2,936,601

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES FOR KNITTING FABRICS HAVING TERRY LOOPS ONBOTH SIDES THEREOF Filed Aug. 2, 1957 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 May 17, 1960CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES FOR KNITTING FABRICS Filed Aug. 2, 1957 MTHIBORD EITAL 2936,601

HAVING TERRY LOOPS ON BOTH SIDES THEREOF 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 May 17, 1960M. THIBORD ETAL 2,936,601

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES FOR KNITTING FABRICS HAVING TERRY LOOPS ONBOTH SIDES THEREOF Filed Aug. 2, 1957 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 2,936,601 FRICS 9Sheets-Sheet 6 MACHINES FOR KNITTING FAB LOOPS ON BOTH SIDES THEREO M.THIBORD ET AL HAVING TERRY CIRCULAR KNITTING May 17, 1960 Flied Aug 2,1957 May 17, 1960 M. THIBORD ET AL 2,936,601

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES FOR KNITTING FABRICS HAVING TERRY LOOPS ONBOTH SIDES THEREOF Filed Aug 2 1957 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 n I x 1 I l 0 1/ nn I l \v May 17, 1960 M. THIBORD ET AL 2,936,601

CIRCULA NITTING MACHINES R KNITT N FA cs HAVI TERRY LOOPS ON BO SIDES REFiled Aug. 2, 1957 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 y 1960 M. THIBORD ETAL 2,936,601

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES FOR KNITTING FABRICS 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 HAVINGTERRY LOOPS ON BOTH SIDES THEREOF Filed Aug. 2, 1957 Maurice Thibord,Troyes, and Ren de Srville, Paris,

France, assignors to Etablissements de Srviile, Paris, FranceApplication August 2, 1957, Serial N 0. 675,943 Claims priority,application France February 19, 1954 4 Claims. (Cl. 66-91) Thisinvention relates to improvements in knitting machines and moreparticularly to circular knitting machines for knitting fabrics havingterry loops on both sides of the fabric according to our formerlyco-pending, and now abandoned application Serial No. 487,936 filedFebruary 14, 1955, of which this is a continuation-inpart.

Mechanism is well known for forming terry loops on the inner face ofcircular knit plain weft fabric. 'It is a principal object of theinvention to provide improved mechanism for forming terry loops on theouter face of such fabric.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will beunderstood from the following description and claims in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example a preferredembodiment of the machine, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the head of a knitting machine with arotary cylinder embodying the improvements according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary developed elevation view of the needle cylinderand sinker dial showing the sequence of the relative movements of theneedles and sinkers in the course of one knitting cycle.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view as seen from above, showing thesequence of the movements of the sinkers in the course of one knittingcycle.

Fig. 4 is an elevational detailed view of a sinker.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical axial section made on line 5-5 of Fig.3 and showing the manner in which the base thread and the inner terryloop thread are fed.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to that of Fig. 5 and illustrates the formationof the inner terry loop.

Fig. 7 is a portion of Fig. 2 on a larger scale, showing the manner inwhich the base thread and the inner terry loop thread are fed, and alsothe formation of the inner terry loops.

Fig. 8 shows a portion of the knitted fabric with the base and innerterry loop threads only.

Fig. 9 is a portion of Fig. 1, and shows, on a larger scale, the feedingof the outer terry loop thread.

Fig. 10 is a view similar to that of Fig. 9 and shows the sinkerspre-forming the outer terry loop.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view illustrating the same operational step asFig. 10.

Fig. 12 shows a portion of the knitted fabric with the base thread, theinner terry loop thread and the outer terry loop thread being pulled bythe sinkers.

Figs. 13 and 14 are portions of Fig. 9 and show the positions of a shortbutt and long butt needles respectively. I

Fig. 15 illustrates a portion of the completed knitted fabric with terryloops on both sides thereof.

The knitting machine of the invention for making a fabric with terryloops on both sides operates according to a cycle which comprises thefollowing five steps:

Step 1.-Feeding the base thread and the inner terry loop thread (asindicated in Fig.5).

2,936,601 Patented May 17, 196Q ice Step 2.Forming the inner terry loopon the toothed wheel and sinking the base and inner terry loop threads(as indicated in Figs. 6 and 7).

(These first two steps are already known in the art and are followed bythe next three steps according to the invention):

Step 3.Raising the fabric and feeding the outer terry loop thread (seeFig. 9).

Step 4.--Forming the outer terry loop (Figs. 11, 12).

Step 5 .lnterlacing of the outer terry loop.

In other words, steps 1 and 2 are intended for making the base fabricand the meshed inner terry loops in a known manner, while steps 3, 4 and5 serve for obtaining the interlaced outer terry loops by means of theadditional means of the invention.

A machine according to the invention includes a head (Fig. 1) comprisinga central hollow rotary cylinder 1 the outer surface of which isprovided with longitudinal grooves adapted to accommodate a circularseries of vertically disposed needles comprising alternately long buttneedles 2 and short butt needles 2 provided with latches as shown. Thecylinder is driven by a toothed member or collar 3. A stationaryneedle-cam-ring 4 carries first and second needle operating meansarranged around the rotary cylinder. The first needle operating meanscomprise stationary needle lifting cams 5 and lowering cams 5a (Fig. 2).The second needle operating means comprise stationary lifting cam 6and-lowering cams 6a. The lifting cam 6 is a stepped cam having a step'21 adapted to cooperate with the low butt needles 2 only, so as toserve as needle selecting means which operate in a manner hereinafterdisclosed.

An annular fiat member 7 rigid with the rotary cylinder and providedwith radial grooves (Fig. 11) to accommodate a series of sinker means 8disposed in alternation with said needles. Each of the sinkers (Fig. 4)has a radially inner lower level and an upper level formed by a head Soand an upwardly extending throat or shoulder 8b between said levels. Cammeans 9 and 9a disposed on a cam disc 10 rigid with the machine frameare provided for reciprocating the sinkers 8 radially so that theycooperate with the needles in a manner later described. Additional meansaccording to the invention are provided which are hereinafter describedin conjunction with the operation of the machine.

Referring now to the operation of the machine the operation is asfollows:

Step 1.-All the needles (both long butt 2 and short butt 2 needles)successively are raised by the lifting cam 5 (Figs. 2 and 5) up to theirhigher position 24 (Fig. 2). A toothed Wheel 16 is rotatably driven onits shaft 25 by the needles which are carried by the rotatingcylinder 1. A base thread 14 is fed through an aperture 12 of a yarn orthread guide 11 as at 14 (Figs. 2, 5 and 7) under the teeth of thetoothed wheel 16, while an inner terry loop thread 15 is fed through anaperture 13 on guide 11 as at 15 upon the teeth of the wheel 16.

Step 2.Under the action of the lowering cam 5a, all the needlessuccessively move downwardly and pull down the inner terry loop threadfrom the top 27 (Fig. 7) of the wheel 16 and also the base thread 14from a location indicated 28 under said wheel 16. At 29, the mesh 3%(Figs. 6 and 7) formed in the previouscourse by the base thread 14 andthe inner terry loop thread 15 strikes upon the head 8a of the sinkers8, the latter now being in advanced position 8' as shown also in Fig. 3under the action of the cam 9. The inner terry loop 31 is formed by theadditional length of thread 15 supplied at 31 (Figs. 6, 7) in excess ofthe length of base thread 14 supplied at 32.

Fig. 8 shows a portion of the fabric obtained so far at this stage, withthe inner terry loops 31 intermeshed with the base meshes 14.

The additional means according to the invention for making the outerterry loops will now act.

Step 3.All the needles are raised up to intermediate positions 34 and 35under the action of earns 36 and 3! Fig. 2. A lifting plate or swell 17secured to the machine frame by a bracket 18 (see also Fig. 9) raisesthe knitted web 22 along the needles and, then, the outer terry loopthread 20 guided on a guide 19 is fed as at 20.

In the meantime, the sinkers 8 interposed between the needles arebrought back to their retracted position 8" (see also Fig. 3) by thecams 9, 9a.

It being assumed that the cylinder 1 is fitted alternately with a highbutt needle 2 and a low butt needle 2 the selecting cams 6, 6a act insuch a manner that the thread 2% is fed above the latch of the needle 2under the latch of the needle 2 (Figs. 2 and 9), and over the sinker 8as at 20.

Step 4 .The sinkers are pushed inwardly to advanced position 8 (Figs. 3,l0, 11) in order to form the outer terry loops in the throats 3b of saidsinkers, as at 40. These outer terry loops will be released from theretracted sinkers only after the next course.

By virtue of the action of the lifting plate 17, the knitted Web engagedon the needles is always maintained at a level above the latches of allthe long and short butt needles 2 and 2 This requirement should befulfilled in order that the web be caught by the hooks of the needleswhen the latter are lowered down to position 2d as shown in Fig. 2.

The fabric, now, has the configuration shown in Fig. 12 in which 14 isthe base mesh, 31 the inner terry loop and 33 the outer terry loop.

Step 5.The needles are in their lowermost position 2d (Fig. 2) and theouter terry loop is still retained in the throat 8b of the sinkers 8.The outer terry loop thread is caught in the hook of the short buttneedles 2 as at 41 (Fig. 13) whereas it slipsover the closed latch andthe hook of the long butt needles 2 at 42 (Fig. 14).

The knitted web now pulled by the needles down to its normal lowermostposition is maintained in this po sition by a safety plate 23 in spiteof the needles being thereafter, raised to position 43 (Fig. 2).

In the course of this upward movement or the needles, the outer terryloop thread which has slipped over the latch and the hook of the longbutt needles 2 at 42, now is passed into the weft (Fig. 14).

The outer terry loop thread still entrapped within the hook of the shortbutt needles 2 (Fig. 13) will slfp over the latch and hook of saidneedles only at the moment when the base and inner terry loop threadsare cast oil? as at 29 (Fig' 7). The short butt needles 2 therefore,will release the outer terry loop thread first in the next course afterthe long butt needles 2 have released said thread, as this clearlyappears in Fig. 15. The thread released by the needles 2 will pass intothe weft at 34 (Fig. 2).

The offset relation of the outer terry thread in slipping over the twodifferent types of needles is necessary for obtaining the requiredinterlacing While a preferred embodment of the invention has beenillustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention isin no way limited to this embodiment and that many changes may be madewithin the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the followingclaims.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a circularknitting machine for making a fabric with terry loops outstanding atboth sides of the fabric, the combination of a circle of verticalneedles, base yarn feeding means for feeding a base yarn, inner terryyarn feeding means for feeding an inner terry loop yarn, first operatingmeans for operating said needles to form with said base yarn a knittedbase fabric and with said inner terry yarn long slack inner terry loopson the inner side of the fabric base, second needle operating meanshaving needle selecting means to operate said needles in such a mannerthat the hook of every other needle of said circle of needles reaches alevel lower than that of the preceding one, outer terry yarn feedingmeans for feeding an outer terry loop yarn at such a level that saidyarn is caught by the hooks of every other needle only, upon saidneedles being operated by said second operating means, sinker meansradially reciprocable be tween said needles at the level of said outerterry yarn feeding means and adapted to form long slack outer terryloops with said yarn in cooperation with said needles,

means for reciprocating saidradial sinker means, fabric lifting meansfor lifting the base fabric above said sinker means up to a level nothigher, than the hooks of said lower level of said needles, andretaining means for preventing the base fabric from being raisedtogether with the needles under the action of said second operatingmeans.

. grooves adapted to accommodate said needles, stationary cam membersconstituting said first and second needle operating means arrangedaroundsaid rotary cylindrical member and adapted to cooperate with theneedle butts of said needles, and an annular flat member rigid with saidrotary cylindrical member and provided with radial grooves adapted toaccommodate said sinker means, said means for reciprocating said sinkermeans being constituted by stationary camming means mounted forcooperation with said sinker means, said yarn feeding means, said basefabric lifting means, and said base fabric retaining means also beingstationary.

4. in a circular knitting machine for making plain weft knit fabric withterry loops on the outer face of the fabric, a single circular series ofneedles having hooks and latches, a circular series of sinkers disposedin alternation with said needles, each of said sinkers having a radiallyinner lower level, an upper level and an upwardly extending shoulderbetween said levels, means for feeding body yarn to said needles, meansfor manipulating said needles to draw loops of said body yam to formbase fabric, means for successively withdrawing said sinkers so thatsaid shoulders are outside the needle circle, means for dividing saidneedles so that alternate needles have their latches above said lowerlevel of the sinkers and intervening needles have their latches lowerthan said lower level of the sinkers, means for feeding a terry yarnbetween said sinker shoulders and said divided needles, means for movingsaid sinkers radially inwardly so that said shoulders engage said terryyarn and cooperate with the needles to draw loops of said terry yarnextending inwardly of the needle circle and below the previously knitfabric, and means for manipulating the needles to cast off said terryyarn from said alternate needles while said terry yarn is retained inthe hooks of said intervening needles.

McAdams May 12-2, 1931 Lombardi Dec. 18, 1956

